Pokémon: Getting Older
by Yunagirlamy
Summary: It is Ash's birthday and he is turning twenty-eight-years-old. His seven-year-old daughter just wants the day to go as perfect as it is. Uploaded for Ash's birthday on the 22nd of May! Happy birthday, Ash!


**Author's notes: I have somehow got it into my head that Ash wears glasses for the simple reason that adult Ash (despite us having **_**no**_** idea what he looks like and never will since the boy has some sort of **_**disease **_**or something preventing him from ageing) would look **_**really**_** fit in them. Seriously. Just imagine. The types of glasses in Specsavers. Ash… he… he… HE SHOULD HAVE GONE TO SPECSAVERS. I'M SORRY, BUT I HAD TO GET THAT IN SOMEWHERE. Please forgive me. So yeah. Just to clear up any confusion or stop any reviews that consist of: "YOU WHAT, LOVE. ASH DOESN'T WEAR BLOODY GLASSES." Well, seeing as most of my reviewers are American, they'd probably be like: "WHAT THE HECK, YOU MORON. ASH DON'T WEAR NO GLASSES. YO' FOOL." That… was a bit racist wasn't it? Well whilst you curse British out—"Curse you, you incredibly handsome British people!" and this would be done with one fist being shaken at the sky and looking up—I would just like to remind you that I am **_**not**_** from London. But anyway: ASH, WEARING GLASSES. It hasn't been said if he does or not – because he **_**could**_** be wearing contact lenses – so no one can prove me wrong. :P Okay, you can try… but I do quite like the idea of Ash wearing glasses. Actually, the only one making a big deal out of it is **_**me**_**. ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. A shame really. Chippies, am I right? (I'm… not mad. I swear. A chippy makes sense to my people. Haha, "my people".)**

"**Pokémon: Getting Older"**

"What about music? What music does he like?"

"_Oh, I honestly don't know, Violet. If I had to guess, I'd say traditional."_

"But traditional music is _boring_! We can't have that!"

"_Young lady, it's your father's party. Not yours." _Violet rolled her eyes and sighed as she heard her grandmother's voice take on a stern tone. Her grandmother carried on with the chiding, but Violet was blanking her out. The young girl looked her nails over, biting some of them. Then she glanced outside, feeling saddened when she saw the pouring down rain. It didn't rain that often in Kanto, but when it rained—it _really_ rained. Nearly everyone had a birdcage brolly because of it. Violet loved hers actually. It was transparent, like most birdcage brollies, with pink flowers all over it and a pink edge. _"Violet Ketchum, are you listening to me?"_

Violet nearly shot up in her seat as she was brought back to reality. She thanked God she wasn't using a videophone or her backside would've been toast by now. "E-Erm, of course, Grandma."

"_Then what did I just tell you?"_

"It's Dad's party, not mine?"

She heard an exasperated sigh on the other side. _"That was the _first_ thing I told you. Never mind. We'll have music your father likes, not music you like."_

"Fine," Violet grumbled, pulling a face she was _very_ glad her grandmother couldn't see. "Music _Dad_ likes. What else?"

"_All the food he can eat."_

"That'll cost millions of pounds, though!" Violet was careful not to shout too loudly; her father was in his study and even though both the doors to the lounge and the study were shut, he'd probably hear her and wonder what was going on. "We don't _have_ millions of pounds."

Her grandmother laughed. _"Sweetie, we don't need a million pounds to accommodate for your father's appetite. Maybe if we had an all you can buffet? That might work."_

"Grandma, _other_ people will want to eat, too."

"_Then we'll distract Ash with some Pokémon battles."_

"And destroy where we're having the party? No way."

"_Ash's battling isn't _that _reckless."_

"Have you _seen_ some of his battles? They show them on telly if you need to see them."

"_I don't need to see them again, sweetheart. Okay, no Pokémon battles then."_

"Grandma, how long have we got until his birthday anyway?"

"_We've got a fortnight."_

"That's not long enough, though!"

"What's not long enough, sweetie?" Violet jumped at her father's voice and glared at him for scaring her. Ash threw back an apologising look and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that, Violet. I honestly didn't mean to scare you. I was just coming in here looking for a stapler. Who's on the blower, anyway?"

"Just Grandma…" Violet very much hoped he wouldn't ask what she wanted.

"What does she want then?"

_Damn you, Daddy._

"M.Y.O.B."

"And what the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Mind your own business!" Violet stuck her tongue childishly out at her father. "It's nothing to do with you, Daddy." The youngster then giggled a bit at her cheekiness, knowing her father would be aware she wasn't being deadly serious.

Ash smiled and jokingly wagged his index finger at her. "I hope you're not being cheeky to your grandmother, young lady."

"Would I ever(?)"

"I don't think I'll answer that…"

"_Violet, you tell your dad that if carries on being mean, he won't get any presents for his birthday," _Delia laughed.

"Dad, Grandma says that if you don't stop being mean, then you won't get presents for your birthday," Violet repeated to her father.

"She _wouldn't_!" Ash gasped.

"I think she _would_, Dad," Violet countered. "She sounds _really_ serious."

"_Tell him I _am_ serious." _If Violet had to guess, she'd say Delia was wearing the biggest grin possible. Violet was finding it _very_ tempting to do the same.

"She's _very_ serious, Dad."

"_Now tell him to go away, we're in the middle of a private conversation."_

"She said to—"

Ash cut his daughter off. "Go away, yeah I know. I found a stapler so I was going _anyway_." As he walked back through the door, he mimicked his daughter's earlier actions—sticking his tongue at her, which had Violet giggling and sticking her tongue back out at him. "Just make sure you behave or you'll get no tea."

"What's for tea anyway?"

"Toad in the hole. That all right for you?"

Violet nodded. "Yeah, thanks." Once her father had left the room, the girl held the receiver back up to her ear and mouth. "I thought he'd never leave! So, what about entertainment then…?"

* * *

The two Ketchum's sighed in boredom simultaneously on the bench they had sat on. The shopping centre was great when you were in one of its various café's and restaurant's – but _not_ so much when you were being dragged around endlessly around its many shops.

"Grandad, when can we go to a café?"

"As soon as your Grandmother is satisfied with a dress."

"Good. Because I have an urge for some black pudding."

"_Oh_, don't say that, you'll set me off." Kieran's tone was one of pleading, but also one that suggested he _wanted_ to be set off so that when he got some food, it would be all the more delicious. "You'll get me thinking about… toast… with strawberry jam on…"

"Bacon…"

"Fried eggs, maybe poached—I don't care." The forty-eight-year-old was about ready to begin slobbering.

"Bubble and squeak." Violet sounded as if she could do the same any minute now.

"Holy shit, _yes_. A-And sausages and hash browns."

"All finished up with a cuppa." This had the grandfather and granddaughter pair sighing wistfully and looking off into the distance dreamily. Then they caught each other's brown eyes and cleared their throats in embarrassment. "So…" Violet spoke awkwardly. "A Full Kantonese Breakfast then?"

Kieran nodded. "Yep, a Full Kantonese Breakfast. The best goddamn breakfast I've ever had. Even more so when it is cooked by your Grandmother."

"Err, Grandad? You're… drooling…" The grandfather's face was blushing a deep red as he wiped the drool from his mouth as swiftly he could. His seven-year-old granddaughter pulled a face and giggled at him. "Ew, you're so dis_gusting_!"

"I'm also very good at tickling!" was the only warning Violet got before Kieran launched into an attack of tickles upon his young granddaughter. The clothes shop they were in, New Image, was filled with the uproar of Violet's loud laughter – but it was hardly _her_ fault if she was extremely ticklish. "Had enough yet?"

"_I_ have!"

Violet and Kieran immediately froze – Violet was half draped over Kieran's lap and he was bending over her – and directed their eyes up to their annoyed relative. The two had a deer caught in the headlights expression, irritating Delia even more. The forty-five-year-old, as best she could due to the couple of shopping bags she held, curled her hands up into fists, placed her hands on her waist and _glared_ at her husband and grandchild.

"Oh." Kieran grinned guiltily. "Hello, dear. Have fun picking out a dress did you?"

"Don't _'hello, dear' _me, Kieran Ketchum. I thought I told you to take Violet to buy a new dress!"

Violet sat up and crossed her arms over her chest moodily. "I don't _need_ a new dress, Grandma. It's not a formal party. We're having it at the _community centre_. That's the least formal place ever! It's from the forties, anyway. You can't have formal parties at some place that was built in the forties."

"Yes you can," Kieran countered.

"Since _when_?"

"Since the forties," Kieran answered. "I've been to quite a few formal parties at that community centre, actually."

"Must of been terrible parties then…"

"First of all, Violet, it is have, not of and secondly, pack it in you two," Delia sighed. "Okay, Violet, if you don't think you don't need a new dress, then you don't have to have one."

"_Yes_!" Violet cheered, pumping a fist. "I can wear my skirt and a top!"

"And whoever said our Violet wasn't a girly-girl?" Her grandfather sniggered whilst ruffling her hair, fully aware that it wound her up rotten. The little girl snarled and swatted his hand away.

"I don't like it when Daddy does that, so I don't like you doing it either!" Even though she was trying hardest, Delia could not stay mad at the pair for very long and she broke down into giggles at Violet's annoyance. The girl always denied stubbornly that she was bothered about her hair; and yet, she absolutely loathed it when someone ruffled it. Delia wasn't sure when Ash had taken to doing it, but she knew he'd been doing it ever since Violet was very young. "Grandma, why are you _laughing_?"

"Because you're so easy to wind up, sweetie!" Delia answered in-between her giggles.

"Thanks(!)" Violet grumbled, crossing her arms moodily over her chest.

"Awww," Kieran began, grabbing his granddaughter and dragging her onto his lap. Delia swiftly sat down in Violet's place, setting her shopping bags on the floor. "Don't be mardy, Violet. Tell you what – because we've wound you up so much I'll buy you the biggest Easter egg we can find."

Violet shot her relative a sceptical look. "But, Grandad, it's the 17th of _May_. What shop is going to be selling Easter eggs _now_?"

"Oh, you'll be surprised, dear."

* * *

The first thing he could smell was tea. The second thing he could smell was toast. The third thing he could smell… was nothing really, which was strange as he was expecting there to be a third smell to wrap it up nicely—but you couldn't have _everything_. So, why could he smell tea and why could he smell toast? These thoughts led him to tell himself inwardly it'd probably be a rather good idea to actually _open_ his eyes and sit up.

When he _did_, a cup of tea and a plate of toast were _nowhere_ to be found—at least, in his eyesight. However, he _could_ see his daughter standing by the window and reaching up a hand to open the cream-coloured curtains. Swiftly, Ash stole a glance at the time – _7:38AM_. So early in the morning… plus, it looked _really_ bright outside. If he let his daughter open those curtains, he would be blinded. _Forever_. Considering how bad his eyesight already was, that would _not_ be a good idea. Unfortunately, his brain did not like to cooperate with him in the morning.

"V-Violet…" It was sad that all he could manage was a quiet mumble. The seven-year-old probably didn't even acknowledge it. "Violet, don't do that," he requested, thankfully a bit louder now and rubbing at his eyes.

His daughter squeaked in surprise, turned on her heels and nearly skipped over to the bed. She near enough leapt onto it, and gave her father a peck on the lips. "Good morning, Daddy!" she greeted cheerfully. Then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. "Happy birthday, you old fart!"

"Old fart?" Ash echoed. "You cheeky madam – I'll teach _you_ a lesson!" He promptly hauled his daughter into his lap and began to tickle her, mostly on her stomach.

"D-_Daaaaad_!" Violet managed between her laughter. "S-Stopppp!"

"Then give me an apology, young lady!" Ash grinned.

"F-For telling the TRUTH?"

"Yes!" Ash nodded, not relenting in his tickling. Violet then kicked his hand away, which meant she was able to get herself free of him. The girl hurriedly crawled onto the free side of the bed, narrowly avoiding Pikachu (who had woken up _long_ before Ash did but was having a lie-in).

"See, you admitted it!" Violet tugged her nightie down and then smoothed it down. She shot a semi-glare to her father, but smiled as she did. "So, how does it feel being twenty-eight?"

"Older," Ash replied, putting his thin-framed square glasses on. Normally he'd wear his contact lenses but having just woke up, he couldn't be bothered at the moment.

"You look funny with glasses on!" his daughter giggled. "But you also look better with them. Daddy, why don't you wear them more often?"

"I just don't like wearing them," Ash told her. He drew her into his lap again, but this time he cuddled her close. "No one except for my Mum and Dad even _knew_ I wore them until I was eighteen." Violet's brown eyes widened.

"_Wow_, that's a really long time!"

"Yeah," Ash said, laughing a little. "Anyway, young lady – why can I smell toast and tea?"

"Oh!" Violet cried as if suddenly remembering something important. "I made you breakfast in bed!"

"_Violet_—"

"I know, I know. I'm not _supposed_ to do stuff in the kitchen all by myself—and I _didn't_."

"You didn't? What do you mean you _didn't_?"

Violet pulled away from his cuddle and bent down to reach the floor. "I mean that Grandad helped me!" She revealed as she brought up a plastic tray with a plate of two pieces of toast and a cup of tea. "To be fair, Grandad made the tea because I have _no idea_ how to make tea but I made the toast!"

"How is it not burnt then?"

At this Violet's eyes went straight down and her cheeks became rose tinted. "Well… it _was_. So I scraped it off with a knife."

Ash's eyes flicked to the toast. "And put a _hell_ of a lot of butter on there. Am I having toast with butter or butter with toast? Because I think it's the second one."

"Pi ka pika pi pi kachu?"

"Yes, did you find it funny?"

Pikachu let out a scoff. "Pi."

"If Pikachu just said he didn't think it was funny, then I agree with him," Violet added. "I think you should stick to the day job, Dad. You earn a hell of a lot of money."

"Money, is that all that matters to you?" Ash took a sip of his brew. "You know, your Grandad makes the best cuppa I've ever had."

Violet scrunched her nose, pulling a face of disgust. "I don't like tea, it's yucky. And _no_, money isn't _all_ what matters to me."

"Then what else does?"

"_Spending_ money."

"Pi, _ka_ pi kachu!"

"Thank you very much!" Violet grinned at Pikachu's words. "Pikachu has a much better sense of humour than _you_ do, Daddy."

"Of course he does. Thank you for the breakfast, sweetie. Now go and get dressed please."

"But it's dead _early_!" The seven-year-old whined. "Why do I have to get dressed _now_?"

"Because I'm your Daddy and when Daddy tells you to do something, you do it."

"You're a _mean_ Daddy."

Ash pouted, looking rather like a child who was told they weren't allowed any sweets. "So does that mean I don't get a present?"

"You do if I can get dressed at ten past eight."

"Why ten past?"

"Because I said so."

"All right," Ash shrugged. "So, what's my present?" His tone was rather eager. Despite the fact that she could merely ask for any amount of money whenever she wanted, his daughter always went for simple gifts each time; home-made more than anything. Something she had put her heart into was far more precious to him than any material item. Although, Violet was _always_ embarrassed about the gifts she got him, feeling that it was too little.

"It's not _much_…" the little girl stated, cheeks bright red accompanied by a tight smile. She leant over the bed and Ash curiously watched her with a warm smile. Then she came back up, face redder than when she went down. "Here, some flowers and a card," she said in a hushed voice, holding the items out to her father. Ash graciously took them from her and then gave her a swift kiss on her lips.

"I love them already, thank you, sweetie."

"You ain't even looked at them yet!"

"They're from _you_. I know I love them."

"Eww, stop being sappy."

Ash chuckled. "You mean soppy, Vi."

"Whatever the word is; stop being that."

"I can't help it, I've always been soppy," Ash told her. He picked up the bunch of three flowers. "Your Mum told me that, you know."

Violet acknowledged the mention of her mother with a little grunt, but nothing more than that. "So what do you think about the flowers?"

Ash bought the flowers up to his nose and lightly sniffed. "Am I correct in thinking that these are violets?"

His girl's eyes bulged. "E-Excuse me?"

"They _are_ the colour of violet, sweetie."

Violet curled her fist up and shook it slightly in anger.

"I'm gonna _kill _Grandad!"

* * *

"Remember your eighteenth birthday?"

"Dawn…"

"We took you drinking."

"Dawnnn…"

"And you got absolutely _pissed_! It was hilarious!"

"_Dawn_…"

"You know, Violet, that was the day we found out your dad wore glasses."

Violet absolutely loved Dawn. She always had and always would. Every single one of her dad's friends told funny stories about him, but none of them were quite as bold as Dawn. Violet recalled having side-splitting laughter from more than two of Dawn's stories.

"Why, what did he do?"

"Dawn, please don't!" Ash begged. The sight of a grown man on his knees and hands clasped together in his own lounge was quite funny to his only child. She held in her laughter though, reserving it for whatever Dawn was about to tell her next.

"Well, he whipped his glasses out of his trouser pockets, got up onto a table, held the glasses up," at this point Dawn held her arm up and her hand looked as though it was holding something, "cried out to the whole pub, 'These are _my_ effing—' well, he didn't say effing, he said the actual f-word, he said, 'These are _my_ effing glasses and if anyone touches them, I'll set my Pikachu on you!' Needless to say, everyone thought he was mad because he didn't have Pikachu on him. But, you know what happened next?"

Violet shook her head timidly, completely concentrated in the story.

Dawn suppressed a giggle and continued, "He chucked the glasses and they went all across the room, bounced off the wall onto the dartboard, then off the bar and they came back around and hit him straight in the face."

Ash instantly buried his face in his hands, flushing a deep red – much like the top half of a Poke Ball. His daughter's reaction, however, was very different. She had burst into laughter, the scene playing out in her mind over and over again.

"Th-That's the b-best thing I've _ever_ heard!"

"I wish you could have been there, Violet. We couldn't stop laughing for nearly two hours afterwards."

"_I_ didn't find it that funny."

"_You_ wouldn't, would you?"

"Besides, it was _your_ fault, Dawn!" Ash accused, crossing his arms. "You kept buying the rounds."

"_You_ didn't have to keep ordering a drink each time, though!" Dawn leant forward and flicked the Pokémon Master on the nose, causing him to swat her hand away. "So I think you'll find it was all your _own_ fault."

"Whatever, I get the blame for _every_thing." Ash sighed. He got off his floor, swept his daughter up into his arms which produced a fit of giggles from her, and set her down on his lap. "So what time does this surprise party you're holding get underway?"

Violet and Dawn's eyes widened in horror and they immediately looked to each other.

"I can't believe you told him!" the pair cried in unison. "It wasn't _me_!"

"It was neither of you," Ash revealed. "In fact, they weren't even _human_."

A silence. Then…

"_Pikachu_!"

**A/N: What do you think? I was going back and forth in my head: 'Should I write the party scene? Should I not write the party scene?' I eventually came to the conclusion that I shouldn't for **_**two**_** reasons: 1. I am **_**way**_** too lazy and 2. I didn't trust myself to get it done in time. This way, you can imagine how the party went yourselves. **

**If Ash **_**did**_** age, or at least if he was real he would be twenty-five-years-old. How cool is that? So, happy birthday, Ash! **

**Completely random, but who else is sad that the BBC won't be using the Television Centre for much longer? It's such an icon. This year will be probably the last time we'll see the Television Centre when Children in Need starts. Very sad times indeed. I wonder what Salford has to offer that White City can't? **

**Anyway, Ash with glasses on – what do you think? Good or not? **

**Yunagirlamy, 22.5.12.**

**P.S. Will anyone else be watching the first Semi-Final of The Eurovision Song Contest tonight? It's on at 8:00PM on BBC Three and BBC HD. Unfortunately, Jedward will be performing tonight and if **_**that**_** wasn't bad enough, the UK also can't vote tonight. Thankfully, Jedward are last.**

**P.S.S. Completely random, and slightly mad, but has anyone else just ever sat in the kitchen and watched the contents of the washing machine? Highly entertaining when you're a child, wouldn't you agree? **


End file.
